Background:

This project represented SimTech’s inaugural flare system optimization engagement within the advanced materials sector. Featuring numerous processing units, huge overall flare relief loads, and highly complex multicomponent relief fluid compositions, the initial design resulted in prohibitive capital expenditure for flare network infrastructure and posed severe design challenges. The client required a scientific, systematic strategy to audit and mitigate flare relief rates at the source.

Solution:

Relief analysis for advanced materials facilities presents distinct challenges compared to conventional refining, aromatics, or ethylene units. These units feature smaller individual capacities, highly diversified process routes, and complex physical property packages, demanding higher precision in steady-state/dynamic modeling, contingency analysis, and relief rate calculation. SimTech evaluated and optimized the site-wide flare system in full compliance with API 521.

Benefit:

Through systematic evaluation and dynamic analysis, the flare relief rates under controlling governing contingencies were reduced by at least 50% across all flare networks compared to baseline design figures. This dramatic reduction yielded significant flare header headroom for future facility expansions.